


Lessons of Love

by Fireborn



Series: Re⊕Collect verse [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fanart, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Pining Sora, Post-Canon, soft boys in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fireborn/pseuds/Fireborn
Summary: While recovering at the Mysterious Tower from the ordeal of their return, Sora and Riku receive biweekly lessons from Fairy Godmother. During every lesson, Sora learns a little more about dreams and connections. And love.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Re⊕Collect verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839610
Comments: 22
Kudos: 140
Collections: Re⊕Collect: A Soriku Fic Collection





	Lessons of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I think... this may be the softest thing I've ever written. I hope you enjoy 💞 Also, I cannot thank [Retto](https://twitter.com/KeyKidRetto) enough for the amazing, amazing sketch for this fic! 
> 
> (if you liked this fic, please check out the companion fic, part 2 in the series, which is a number of "missing scenes" from this fic & cuddles from this verse!)

It had been Master Yen Sid’s idea. 

After Sora and Riku returned, it had taken both of them four weeks to wake up. Four weeks filled with shards of dreams Sora barely remembered—technicolour flashes and a soft glow inside him. Four weeks of reaching for the brightest, warmest light he’d ever felt. 

The next thing Sora knew, he’d opened his eyes to _white_ all around him and glanced towards his left to see his best friend, his light, _Riku_ in the bed next to him. And even though Sora ached all over and struggled to wake up through the haze of bone-deep exhaustion, the sight of Riku—deep asleep, the sheet carefully folded over his chest slowly moving up and down with each breath—made his heart leap with an emotion he didn’t know how to name.

Over the next few days, the entire gang visited the makeshift hospital room in Radiant Garden with hugs and relieved smiles and homemade cakes. And even though seeing everyone again was tiring, Sora felt a little bit stronger with every hug or every present they gave him. _Him and Riku_. Every waking moment, he sat by Riku’s side, on Riku’s bed, and when Riku held his hand as tightly as necessary, no one even batted an eye.

Master Yen Sid was the last one to visit.

“Sora, Riku,” he said. “Words cannot express how grateful I am that you have both returned safely when we had all but given up hope.”

“It was Riku who brought me back,” Sora said, squeezing the warm fingers in his. Maybe if he held on tightly enough, he could stay by Riku’s side this time.

“No, Sora,” Riku said with a sideways glance. “It was both of us.”

Master Yen Sid nodded. “Next time though, we may not be so lucky. We should take precautions to prevent any of this from happening again. There’s a unique bond between you two. One we know very little about.”

“Precautions? What should we do?” Riku asked, the exhaustion in his voice all but masked by determination.

“Do not worry,” Master Yen Sid said with a rare smile. “It is nothing strenuous; I have asked Fairy Godmother to give you lessons twice a week. She knows more about dreams and connections than any of us. Hopefully, her lessons will be able to further strengthen your special bond, so you will learn how to use it to the fullest.”

And so, once they were both strong enough to leave Radiant Garden, they took the gummiship and flew to the Mysterious Tower. The Tower was as much a home as they’d ever had over the past years, and their shared bedroom was just as Sora remembered it. There were two mahogany single beds, one on each side of the room. There was a desk and a closet they shared. There were books, knick-knacks, posters, and a tiny magical mobile of all the worlds they’d visited hanging from the ceiling.

It was one of the few places Sora felt completely at peace.

And Fairy Godmother’s lessons turned out to be the _best_.

Often, Sora would wait for Riku in the morning, and they’d walk towards the study-turned-classroom side by side, their shoulders and arms brushing. Other days, Sora wandered the hallways without Riku—when Riku took a little too long showering and Sora was a little too eager to get to their lessons. He’d never been excited for lessons ever in his life, but being in a classroom with Riku and learning about their _special connection_ was unlike any lesson he’d had before, and he _liked_ it.

What was more, Fairy Godmother also really seemed to enjoy teaching them about connections and hearts and all the things Sora felt he should know about, but didn’t, not _really_.

Sora liked how _kind_ Fairy Godmother was, always. She never raised her voice or sighed at him, and if he had half-formed thoughts he was afraid to speak, she always encouraged him to talk about them. It also helped that Riku would turn to him with a small smile, and lean forward a little with his chin in his hands, and Sora felt like both of them _wanted_ to hear his opinions.

It made him feel fuzzy and warm inside.

This morning, he entered the makeshift classroom alone and took a seat behind his desk.

“Good morning, Sora,” came the cheerful voice from where Fairy Godmother had her head buried in a wooden cabinet.

“Morning, Fairy Godmother!”

“No Riku yet?” 

“He’s still in the shower. It takes him _forever_ sometimes.”

“Oh, sometimes long warm showers are just what a person needs,” Fairy Godmother replied, turning around with two empty teacups in her hand. She placed one on each of the pushed together desks. With a wave of her wand, the teacups filled with tea. Black for Riku, milk and sugar for Sora. There was a third teacup on Fairy Godmother’s desk at the front of the classroom, which she took with a smile.

“Did you sleep well, Sora?” 

“Oh, yeah! Ever since we got here, I’ve been sleeping a lot better. Being in the same bedroom as Riku is really comforting…”

Sora trailed off as the boy in question rushed through the door, his hair still damp, his face a beautiful flushed pink. Sora couldn’t help but beam at him, and Riku’s face lit up in return. On the way to his chair, he put a cinnamon roll on a plate on Sora’s desk.

“Breakfast.”

“Thanks, Riku!” Sora stuffed a large bite of the roll into his mouth.

After Riku had taken his seat, Fairy Godmother waved her wand, and white cursive letters appeared in the air, floating and twirling towards the blackboard where they made words.

_A dream is a wish your heart makes_.

Sora shifted on his chair, leaning forward a little to rest an elbow on the desk and his chin in one hand. He took another bite of his cinnamon roll, ignoring the crumbs that scattered across his desk.

“Today’s lesson is about dreams,” Fairy Godmother said briskly. “My speciality.”

\-- Art by [Retto](https://twitter.com/KeyKidRetto)

She explained that dreams didn’t _always_ have meanings, but you could feel it when they did. Those were the most vivid, most memorable dreams of all. Dreams that left you in tears or woke you up with the biggest smile on your face. Those were the dreams that came from the heart. The longer she talked, the more Sora subconsciously leaned into Riku’s shoulder as he listened.

It was so fascinating that Sora had completely forgotten about his tea and cinnamon roll by the end of the lesson. Never one to waste good food or drinks, Sora still stuffed the remaining roll in his mouth anyway, washing it down with cold, sweet tea. It still tasted good.

“And that’s it for today! Next time, we’ll talk about Dream Eaters,” Fairy Godmother said with a twirl of her wand. “Now shoo, go outside and work off some of that excess energy.”

Sora smiled sheepishly. He loved Fairy Godmother’s lessons, but sitting still had never been easy for him. He hadn’t even realised he’d been doing the bouncing in his seat thing again… 

After saying goodbye to Fairy Godmother, Sora chased Riku around the tower and out into the grounds. Riku was fast, but Sora was faster, and he had more stamina after sitting still all morning. That, or Riku let him win. 

Either way, he pounced and tackled Riku to the soft forest floor where they rolled around in the leaves in a tussle of elbows and knees until Sora was the one pinning Riku to the ground.

“Ha!” Sora said, and then, because he wanted to be _closer_ to Riku, he relaxed his body so he could cuddle into Riku’s side. He brushed his fingers over Riku’s shoulder, his arm, the scar on his wrist, until their palms were touching—calloused and warm and so familiar that it almost brought tears to Sora’s eyes.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes,” Sora said, Fairy Godmother’s words suddenly popping into his head. He wasn’t sure he fully understood them yet.

Riku nodded, sweeping his thumb over the back of Sora’s hand. Sora shivered.

“I dream of you a lot,” Sora said, the words slipping out unbidden.

Riku smiled in his trademark wistful way. “I also dream of you. A lot.”

“Do you think it’s because you’re my Dream Eater?” For some reason, that thought made Sora a little wistful as well. He wanted to dream of Riku for _Riku_.

Riku hummed in a way that made it hard to interpret what he meant. Sora tilted his head, leaning a little closer.

“Or maybe it _is_ my heart making a wish…” Sora liked that option much better.

  
  


The days in the Tower flew by. Their friends visited whenever they could, gummiships arriving nearly every day from Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, or the Land of Departure.

And on the other days, Sora got to spend time alone with Riku, studying or sparring or just exploring the grounds and the forest. Riku taught him about constellations and how to know which star was which world. They would lie down on their backs on the roof or against the cool grass in a forest clearing, and Riku would point out each star, his voice quiet and gentle until Sora had them all memorised.

And Fairy Godmother’s lessons continued twice a week. Today’s lesson was about _Dream Eaters_. Sora had a bit of trouble focusing in the beginning, because Riku had promised they would go to Twilight Town for ice cream later today, and that was such a nice thing to look forward to that it was hard not to be a little distracted.

Riku nudged him. “Pay attention now. Think of ice cream later.”

Riku knew him too well.

“As you know, there are two kinds of Dream Eaters: Spirits, who eat the bad dreams, and Nightmares, who eat the good dreams. They usually only appear in the Sleeping Realm, but occasionally, the connection between Dream Eaters and their creators is so powerful, that they cross over into this realm.”

“Is that why I can summon Meow Wow to fight alongside me?” Sora asked, smiling a little because he liked that idea.

“Probably,” Riku answered. He had stopped taking notes to look at Sora. “He’s the Dream Eater you have the strongest connection with, isn’t he?”

Sora tilted his head, thinking back to the Mark of Mastery. He hadn’t known it at the time, but he knew now… Out of the regular Spirits, he probably felt closest to Meow Wow. But— “No. That’s you, Riku.”

Riku’s eyes cast down at his notes and his tea, and Sora wished he could see through the bangs because he wanted to know what Riku was _thinking_. 

“Now, Sora, why do you think Riku became your Dream Eater?”

“Because he’s my best friend,” Sora said without hesitation, not looking away from Riku’s half-hidden face. This question was _easy_. “And Riku always saves me when I’m in danger. Because he’s strong and brave and really amazing.”

“Sora…” Riku’s voice was a mere whisper.

“It’s true!”

There was a long silence that stretched, but Riku didn’t say anything more. It was Fairy Godmother who spoke up next.

“Master Yen Sid and Merlin and I have discussed this very question as well. We believe that sometimes, a connection between two people is so strong, that it can transcend the normal rules of sleep and dreams, of worlds and boundaries. Maybe even death.”

“Is that…” Sora trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Riku had always done so much for him, had _always_ protected him. But to say it out loud… Would that be weird?

“Yes, dear?” Fairy Godmother prompted kindly. Riku lifted his head, turning to look at Sora with an expression Sora couldn’t place.

“Is that how Riku found me in Shibuya?”

“It’s true that Riku’s dreams held the power to find you. Out of everyone, he has the strongest connection to you. I’m just sorry it took all of us so long to realise—”

“It’s okay,” Sora whispered, trying to blink back his tears. “I don’t remember much of that year, anyway…”

“Sora,” Riku spoke up next to him, and when he looked up again, Riku was reaching out to cup his face with his right hand. “I’ll always protect you. I think I became your Dream Eater because I want you to be safe, most of all.”

There was a confidence in Riku’s demeanour that made Sora study him more intently. He leaned into the warm touch to his cheek, absentmindedly realising he was nuzzling against Riku’s hand. He brought his other hand to his chest, unable to break eye contact, unable to even breathe.

“I feel it here,” Sora whispered. “Our connection. I felt it, even when you weren’t there. I think I called out to you—my _heart_ called out to you the whole time.”

“Well, I am your Dream Eater,” Riku said, and for a rare moment, Sora saw a myriad of emotions flicker across Riku’s unguarded face. Pride, fear, joy, fondness… Then, they were gone just as quickly as they’d come, and his features smoothed back into a gentle smile.

Riku dropped his hand to the desk with a thud, and Sora finally felt he could breathe again.

“Dream Eater connections are amongst the most powerful of all. But there are other connections that are also very powerful. And when they combine, that’s when the real magic happens.”

“What do you mean?” Sora asked.

“Riku managed to find you because he figured out how to turn this powerful connection into a pathway. We’ve never seen anything like it before.” She paused, nodding to herself. “But I think this is enough for today. We’ll talk more about this during our next lesson!”

Riku closed his notebook, and Sora stood when he did. His thoughts were reeling. He knew his connection with Riku was special, but _this_ special…? Is this what bonds with other people could do?

He followed Riku to the door, but before they’d reached it, Fairy Godmother spoke up again.

“Sora, can you stay behind and help me with these potted plants for a moment? I’d like to put them in the windowsills, but they’re rather heavy.”

“Oh,” Sora said, glancing over his shoulder towards Fairy Godmother. “Of course! Riku could help, too. He’s really strong.”

“That’s okay, dear. Today I’d like _you_ to help me.”

“I’ll wait for you on the front steps, Sora,” Riku said, touching Sora’s wrist for the barest of moments before he was gone.

Nice little tingles spread all over Sora’s arm and hand, and subconsciously he brought up his other hand to rub at the spot where Riku’s fingers had been just a moment ago.

Sora helped Fairy Godmother put the dozen potted plants all over the classroom, wondering only vaguely how she’d gotten them here and then why she couldn’t use her magic to move them where she wanted them. She must have had her reasons.

“Now dear,” she spoke gently as they put the last plant into place. “You said earlier that you can feel connections, right? In your heart? I know I said we’ll talk more about them later, but I wanted to bring up something very important for you to think about: if you love someone, you’re always connected. Even when you’re apart.”

Sora thought for a moment, staring at the bright green potted plant and the budding yellow flowers. “Like with Elsa and Anna,” he said with dawning realisation.

“Who are Elsa and Anna?”

“They’re sisters. Elsa ran away because she thought it was the right thing to do. Even though Elsa loved her sister very much, she still ran away.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Because she wanted to protect Anna.”

There was a pause.

“What’s bothering you, honey?”

“Anna loved Elsa very much. I’m sure Elsa knew. But she still ran away.”

“Sometimes people don’t know the extent of the feelings someone has for them. Even though it may seem obvious. Sometimes you need to tell them.”

Sora took her words and safely secured them into his heart, so he could ponder them later. 

“Well,” Fairy Godmother smiled. “Don’t these flowers look lovely?”

Sora folded his hands behind his head, grinning. “Yeah.”

“Now, run along, dear. Didn’t you want to get ice cream with Riku?”

“Oh, yeah!”

Later, on the train to Twilight Town, Sora couldn’t help but consider all of Fairy Godmother’s words. Surely Riku knew how important he was to Sora?

But just in case, he took Riku’s hand and didn’t let go, not even when Riku paid for the ice cream and not even when they made their way up the steps of the clock tower so they could eat while they watched the eternal sunset.

Sora didn’t know about a lot of things, but he knew about _this_. He knew how he wanted Riku by his side, forever. He knew he felt stronger with Riku— _better_. It wasn’t even the Dream Eater connection, per se, he knew. It was… He didn’t know what it was. But in any case, he knew what he _wanted_.

“I never want us to be apart again, Riku…”

Riku was silent for so long that Sora worried he’d said the wrong thing. That made him feel sad, and he fought against the urge to take his hand back. The silence stretched and stretched, and Sora’s thoughts were spinning. Fairy Godmother had told him it was important to talk about your feelings.

She hadn’t told him how _hard_ it was.

“Please…” Sora added eventually.

Finally, Riku turned to him. The blue ice cream was melting, dripping onto his hand, but he didn’t seem to have noticed.

“I’ll never leave you, Sora. I’ll be here for as long as you want me.”

Sora felt his cheeks heat up at the utter _determination_ in Riku’s words, and he quickly took a bite of his ice cream because he didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, he shifted a little closer to Riku, and when they turned back to the sunset, he rested his head on Riku’s shoulder.

  
  


“Today, we have a very special lesson. One of my other specialities, if I do say so myself.” Fairy Godmother waved her wand, and something happened to the room that made everything _glow_ somehow. Not literally, but something like a soft golden light seemed to settle over Sora’s vision.

Riku was bent over his notes, completely engrossed in Fairy Godmother’s words. Sora also listened with rapt attention, but he wasn’t very good with multitasking, so he didn’t write anything down. He knew he could read Riku’s notes later anyway if he wanted a recap of what they’d learned. And since it was so easy to pay attention to Fairy Godmother’s lessons, and because no one scolded him or told him to do anything he didn’t want to, he felt better just listening.

Sora had come to the conclusion that Fairy Godmother had probably never scolded anyone in her life, and he couldn’t even remember the last time Riku had said anything unkind to him. It had been years.

“Now, we talked about Dream Eater connections the last time… But there are other connections, too. Who can tell me the strongest connection between hearts? Sora?”

“Uhm,” Sora frowned a little in thought, trying to not look too confused. “Hope?”

“Oh, hope! Hope is very powerful indeed. Hope is what connected me to Cinderella when she needed me the most. But hope is not the _strongest_ connection.”

Sora thought deeply. He looked at Riku, who had stopped writing and was looking down at his notes with a deep blush on his cheeks. Sora’s frown softened at the sight as he studied the way the sunlight glanced off Riku’s silver hair. 

He fidgeted with the teacup in his hands, twisting it this way and that. 

For some reason, he thought back to Hercules regaining his strength to save Meg. Beast finding the power to fight and save Belle. Rapunzel’s love saving Eugene. Elsa and Anna. Buzz and Woody.

_Oh!_

“Love,” he blurted out.

Fairy Godmother nodded happily. “Love, indeed.”

Sora glanced over to Riku again, proud he’d figured out the answer. Riku’s blush was even darker now, and Sora suddenly wanted to reach out and touch the flushed skin with his fingers to see if it was as warm as it looked.

Instead, he looked back at his desk and the steam coming off the teacup.

“I don’t know a lot about love,” he said softly. He felt a little bashful all of a sudden, admitting this out loud. Fairy Godmother was one of the experts in love, and Riku always knew everything—Riku would know about love. 

But still, he always felt safe here, with the both of them. He knew they wouldn’t laugh at him for admitting he didn’t know something.

“On the contrary, Sora,” Fairy Godmother said kindly, and Sora looked up from the steaming tea between his hands. “I think you know a lot about love. All the people you sheltered in your heart, all the connections you have forged, all the friends you’ve made.”

“Oh,” Sora said, and he nodded. “Yeah, when you put it like that…”

“There are different kinds of love, though. And sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between them. But that’s a lesson for the next time.” 

The rest of the lesson, they talked about friendship and love, and how those connections between hearts were the source of much confusion and much research because they were so powerful, yet so miraculous.

“In short,” Fairy Godmother concluded. “None of us know everything about love, Sora. We’re all just learning. And that’s okay.”

Fairy Godmother cleaned the blackboard with a simple wave of her wand. “Sora helped me the other day. I think it’s only fair Riku should help me with our potted flowers today. They need watering and plant food. You don’t mind, do you, dear?”

Riku nodded, and Sora left the room alone with Riku’s notebook clutched to his chest, his head full of thoughts.

He went back to their bedroom and flopped down on his stomach on Riku’s bed—Riku’s bed always smelled better for some reason. He propped the notebook open against the pillow and went over Riku’s notes. When Riku returned, Sora moved to one side until he was pressed against the wall and there was space on the bed for Riku to lie down as well.

Riku hesitated for only a moment before he lay down next to Sora. He was on his back, staring up at the ceiling for a long time. Even when Sora started talking, Riku remained quiet, uncharacteristically so. Sora didn’t know what to think of that. He didn’t mind though; he had enough words for both of them, and when he made jokes, Riku smiled up at the ceiling. And when he took Riku’s wrist, Riku shivered a little in that way he sometimes did these days.

Did Fairy Godmother say anything to him? Should Sora ask? Riku was never very open with his thoughts and emotions, and Sora didn’t want to _pry_. 

“Are you okay?” he asked instead.

Riku was silent for a few moments longer, and then he turned his head to watch Sora. He lifted a hand to brush over Sora’s cheek, and Sora leaned into the touch because it was nice and warm. Riku’s fingers ghosted over his forehead next, and Sora closed his eyes, sighing happily.

“Yeah,” Riku said softly. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

And in his heart, Sora knew he meant it.

  
  


The next lesson day, Sora nearly ran down the hallway to the classroom because he was so excited. The only reason he didn’t was that doing so would have meant leaving Riku behind. 

It was going to be today! Fairy Godmother had said that they would talk about different kinds of love _today_. After everything they had learned so far, Sora felt like this would be the conclusion he had been waiting for. Once behind his desk, he was too jittery to even look at his tea, let alone drink it, and unable to think about anything but the one question that was burning in his heart.

Fairy Godmother smiled at him as he kicked his legs back and forth. “Something on your mind, dear?”

“What’s it like, being in love?” Sora blurted out.

Fairy Godmother’s smile widened. “Oh, being in love… It’s a magical feeling, but it’s not like my magic or yours. Romantic love is created fully by hearts. Being in love is one of the most powerful connections there is.”

“It sounds so wonderful…” Sora leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply, somewhere between pouty and thoughtful. “How do you know you’re in love?”

“That’s a very good question,” Fairy Godmother said. “Riku, perhaps you’d like to answer?”

Sora jerked his head around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. _Riku?_ Riku knew about being in love? Was that because Riku was so smart or because he was… _in_ love? Somehow that latter thought made his stomach squeeze uncomfortably. Riku was his best friend. If he was in love with someone, Sora should know that… right?

The squeezing feeling amplified when Riku nodded, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. 

“Like we talked about?” Fairy Godmother asked kindly, waving her wand and once again making the lights around them more golden, softer somehow. 

“Yeah, okay.” Riku’s voice was low, unsure, and for a reason Sora couldn’t define, he wanted to _touch_ him; his hands where they were curled into fists on the desk, or the warm, pale skin of his forearms.

“Riku, dear,” Fairy Godmother said. “You can take your time.”

“No, it’s okay,” Riku muttered, barely above a whisper. “I wanna do this.”

Inexplicably, Sora’s heart was beating faster than usual. He wanted to say something, but his throat was too dry. Instead, he shifted, tugging his right leg underneath himself so he could focus better.

“When you’re in love…” Riku’s voice still wavered, and for a moment, Sora thought he would stop talking, but then he kept going. With every word, his voice became a little more certain. “You think about this person all the time. You just always want to be close to them. Everything they do is just always cute or funny or interesting, and being together is… what you want most. The rest of the world just… fades away when you’re with them.” 

Sora had stopped breathing. Even though Riku’s voice was soft, every word felt like it was directed straight to his chest, his _heart_. There was something there, some emotion that he wanted to _understand_ , and he was so close, yet it remained _just_ out of reach.

He thought about Riku all the time. He wanted nothing more than to be close to Riku. Riku was smart and cool, and Riku wanted to spend time with _Sora_ , too…

Riku clenched his hand so hard around his pen that Sora heard it creak. “But also when you’re close to them, it’s hard too, because you want them to be happy. But part of you also wants them to be happy with _you_ , and I know that’s selfish, but…” 

Riku paused, and when he lifted his head, Sora was surprised to see his eyes wet and shining, the lights in the room reflected in them.

“But that’s what it feels like. It kind of hurts, but in a good way.”

Sora acted without thinking. He slid his hand across the desks to grab Riku’s in his. Holding Riku’s hand always comforted him. Hopefully, it would be the same for Riku. Their eyes met.

“That was beautiful,” Fairy Godmother said softly, but Sora startled a little anyway. He’d completely forgotten about her. “Thank you, Riku.”

Sora’s gaze flicked between Fairy Godmother and Riku. They were both looking at each other, and it was like they were having a private conversation with each other that Sora couldn’t follow.

“Well, I think we should leave it at this for today,” Fairy Godmother concluded. “I will see you boys next time!”

And with a knowing little smile and a twirl of her wand, she was gone.

Sora turned back to Riku, who was looking at him again. He was still gripping Riku’s hand tightly, and now Riku opened his fist to slide their palms together. The silence between them stretched, but not in an uncomfortable way. Nothing with Riku was ever uncomfortable. 

“Riku?” Sora whispered after the silence had gone on for a long time. “How did you know all that?” 

Riku took a deep breath, but he didn’t look away. “I’ve felt like this for a long time.”

“Oh,” Sora said, trying not to feel so sad. If Riku was in love, that was a _good_ thing, right? Then why did it feel like his heart was breaking?

“Because.” Riku closed his eyes. “I love you.”

Everything inside Sora ground to a halt. The sad feelings he had been trying to push down suddenly melted away like snow in the warmth of the sun. The words echoed in his ears, repeating over and over: _I love you, I love you, I love you_.

But… a tiny part of Sora told him he’d also learned there were many ways to love…

“I’m _in_ love with you,” Riku added quietly, and Sora’s heart leapt in his chest, the way it so often did when Riku did something, or whenever he just looked at Riku.

And suddenly it all hit him at once.

All the touches, all the smiles, all the times Riku had kept him safe, _protected_ him. All the times he’d felt his own heart _reach_ for Riku.

All the things Riku had just confessed.

Tears sprung into Sora’s eyes, but he smiled, too. He smiled wider than he ever had.

“I understand, now,” Sora said, and he leaned forward so he could hug Riku close. Riku’s arms immediately went around him, and Sora felt him shake even as his strong arms tugged until their chests were pressed close together. Like this, Sora’s every sense was just attuned to _Riku_ : the faint lavender smell of his shampoo; the feel of his warm, solid form; the sound of his hitched breathing.

Eventually, it was Sora who pulled back, because he had come to a realisation, and he wanted to _look_ at Riku while he told him.

“I love you, too. I’m _in love_ with you, too. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I never realised it before—”

“No,” Riku said, and he was still trembling, his eyes still wet, but he was _smiling_ too, brighter than Sora had ever seen him smile. “I would have waited forever.”

“You don’t have to. I know now. I finally realised. Although…”

“Although?” Riku prompted.

“I don’t know what people do when they’re in love…”

Riku chuckled softly, and he cupped Sora’s face, gently bringing their foreheads together. Through his tears, his eyes were soft and affectionate. “Nothing has to change. We’re still us. We can figure it out together.”

“I’d like that…”

This time, it was Riku who hugged him, warm and firm and wonderful, and Sora leaned into the contact, clinging back just as tightly. Riku caressed his neck gently, and Sora shivered.

It was funny. Maybe he had known what being in love felt like all this time.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of the Re⊕Collect:Soriku zine. Thank you, everyone, for your support on this amazing zine, and thanks to all other contributors and the mods for all of their hard work. Please check out the other fics in the collection!!
> 
> Also, while you're at it, please come talk to me about Sora and Riku on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/fortheloveinyou) :D


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